28th Annual Bus Roadeo – FingerLakes1.com Archive

Centro heads to the New York State Fairgrounds with a maze of cones, barrels, tennis balls and their best bus operators. On Sunday June 13, more than 40 Centro drivers from Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego counties will embark on a series of challenges against each other and against the clock in the 28th Annual Bus Roadeo. Competitors have seven minutes to maneuver a bus through a gauntlet of obstacles, each designed to simulate a particular procedure or skill including navigating hairpin turns, reverse and serpentine curves, judgment stops and operating in close quarters. In addition to the obstacle course, competitors will also be tested on their safety habits, appearance, passenger stops, and overall smoothness of operation. A point system will be used to evaluate each competitor participating in the obstacle challenge. The winner of Centro’s Roadeo will move on to the 23rd Annual New York Public Transportation Association (NYPTA) Bus Roadeo on September 25, 2010 at Cornell University where they will compete for a shot to participate in the International Bus Roadeo. Last month, Martin Davis, a Centro bus operator from Utica, finished 26th overall in the “40-foot Transit Coach” division at the International Bus Roadeo in Cleveland, OH. Davis topped the rest of his colleagues in the 2009 Centro Roadeo by more than 70 points to reach the NYPTA Roadeo last September where he qualified for international competition.